1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage case capable of collectively holding and storing as a library a plurality of recording media, such as recording and replay cassette tapes and CDs, each held in a protective case or a decorative case, and of allowing any of the recording media to be taken out as needed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A popular type of storage case has the structure, for example, shown in FIG. 18. The storage case 1 shown in FIG. 18 is composed of an outer body section 2, and an inner storage section 3 that is drawn into and out of the outer body section 2. The inner storage section 3 is provided with partitions 4 arranged in three rows so that, for example, thirty cassette tapes, each housed in a decorative case, can be orderly arranged and stored. Both the outer body section 2 and the inner storage section 3 are molded from PS plastic such as ABS or HIPS.
Such a large storage case that accommodates many cassette tapes is unexpectedly expensive and requires a wide space for placement. Therefore, the storage case is suited to store many cassette tapes at a time, while it is disadvantageous in cost and space when the number of cassette tapes to be stored gradually increases.
Accordingly, in order that an additional storage case can be sequentially joined every time the number of cassette tapes to be stored increases by a fixed number, there is a proposal of a compact storage case la that accommodates, for example, ten cassette tapes, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. The compact storage case la is made of a similar material to that of the aforesaid prior art, composed of an outer body section 2a and an inner storage section 3a, and provided with a row of partitions 4a formed inside the inner storage section 3a.
The outer body section 2a has a flange-shaped or vertically grooved joint section 5 formed on one side thereof, and a hooked joint section 6 formed on the other side so that the storage case 1a can be joined to another one. In joining two storage cases, the hooked joint section 6 of one of the storage cases is engaged with and slid along the flange-shaped or grooved joint section 5 of the other storage case.
Although such storage cases can be sequentially joined through the joint sections 5 and 6 on both sides of the outer body section 2a of each storage case, since the joint sections 5 and 6 are projecting outward from both sides, the outside dimensions of the storage case 1a are increased, and a wider space for placement is thereby required. Furthermore, since the joint sections are projecting, the outward appearance is impaired, and another object, the hand or the like is sometimes damaged by being caught by or contacted with the projecting joint sections.